Conventionally, a refrigeration cycle device described in JP 2006-44424A (corresponding to US 2006/0026982 A1) is used for a vehicle air conditioner. In the vehicle air conditioner, an inflammable refrigerant is used in a refrigerant cycle, and an oil separation and recovery device is located adjacent to a refrigerant discharge port of a compressor. The oil separation and recovery device separates the refrigerant and a lubrication oil from each other, and the lubrication oil is returned to the compressor. In the refrigerant cycle with the oil separation and recovery device, it is possible to reduce an amount of the refrigerant in which the lubrication oil is mixed in the refrigerant cycle, thereby improving the safety when the refrigerant leaks from the refrigerant cycle.
However, in the vehicle air conditioner described in JP 2006-44424A, the refrigerant may directly leak from the compressor when the refrigerant cycle device is damaged by a vehicle collision or the like.
In another vehicle air conditioner with a refrigerant cycle described in JP 2005-1409A, a check valve or a switching valve or the like is provided between respective components of the refrigerant cycle. When a compressor of the refrigerant cycle is stopped, the circulation path of the refrigerant cycle is partitioned into plural areas by the check valves or the switching valves. Thus, it is possible to reduce a leakage amount of the refrigerant even when a refrigerant leakage is caused in the circulation path of the refrigerant cycle due to a vehicle collision or the like.
However, in the vehicle air conditioner described in JP 2005-1409A, the refrigerant including lubrication oil may leak from a damaged portion in the refrigerant cycle.